The US Army has identified the third soldier who died in a collision between a jet and a helicopter in Washington, DC. The crash killed 67 people.
Identified as Rebecca M Lobach, the pilot was flying the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight last week.
I’m heartbroken to share that my friend Capt. Rebecca Lobach died in Wednesday evening’s crash near DC’s National Airport.
— Davis Winkie (@davis_winkie) February 1, 2025
Rebecca was brilliant and fearless, a talented pilot and a PT stud. We trained and commissioned together from @UNCArmyROTC, and we had a lot of fun along… pic.twitter.com/ZaKgWssdSI
The US Army said they decided to reveal the pilot's name after coordinating with the family.
In a statement released by the army, Lobach's family said, "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives."
Who was Rebecca Lobach?
Captain Rebecca Lobach enlisted in the service in July 2019 and was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She had more than 450 hours of flight time during her service history.
Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, the Army captain was among the top 20 per cent of Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets in the US. Lobach was conferred the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. She was also the White House social aide in the previous government.
Lobach's family said she was "a warrior and would not hesitate to defend her country in battle."
The two other soldiers who were killed in the crash were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves and Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O'Hara.
